Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-03-17
DEATH OF Mr.. BEECHER.
He Passes quietly Away in the Pres
ence Of Most Members % the Family.
DR.. SearIes Statement in Regard To
the Distinguished Mans last Hours.
MR.. BEEcHER
1he Noted Divine Pass.. Away.

Mr.. bkELHkk
The Noted Divine Passes Away.
NKw YORK, March 5.--The Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher died at $50 O'Clock this
morning in the presence Of most Of the
family Dr.. Searle makes the following
yerba. statement in regard 10 the distin-
guished divius's last hours: Mr. Bescher
began TO fail decidedly At O'Clock il the
morning and his respiration was rapid.
At O'Clock the family vas summoned.
Death came slowly and steslthily. the res
pirations gradually became faster and
faster unit. they reached sixty minute,
one each second. His pulse was variable
aud often reached 40 He still remained
in the same condition except in breathing
with his eyes closed and nc was entirely
unconscious. The motion Of his right arm
became less frequent and finally dropped
almost entirely. About O'Clock IN the
morning we could detect the first symp-
toms Of immediate death. His pulse ran
Up stiE higher, fickered and iuctusted
until 9.2s. txo minutes before his death.
MS pulse ceased almost entirely Atsthe
wrist u was 20 faint that it could hardly
be detected, and then stopped altogether.
There was a rafting in the throat pain
ful 70 those around him, bat unfslt by
him, owing to the failure of the nerve
centre Of tee respiratory organs. tOgeta-
er with the failure of the hearts sc-
ton dis death. which came a. 800, was
very easy a. painless If not a. pleasant
az death from sufocstion or By drown
ing, is said TO be. In the sitting room IN
the back Of the house, where the great
preacher spent many of the hours Of his
life, Major Pond this morning was busily
engaged in answering the many tele
grams that we're received BY Mrs. Beecher.
Henry Ward Beecher was the son of
Lyman Beecher, d. D., who was the faith
or of thirteen children six of whom at
tanned distinction, "a follows: Catherine
Esther, Edward, Henry Ward, Harriet
Elizabeth lStowel, Charles and Thomas
Kennicutt. Henry Ward was born at
Litchfield, Conn, June "a, 1913, He grad
uated az Amherst in 1884, finishing his
theological course at Lane Seminary
Before entering the ministry he was an
editor; his first newspaper work was on
the Cincinnati journal, in 1886, OF which
he was the practical writer. His first
pastorate was in Lawrenceburg, Conn,
where be had charge OF the Presbyterian
church. Ii 1893 h6 vas called TO Indian
apolis, Ind, and remained there as pastor
of the Presby terrain church until his re
turn 70 the east. While in charge of the
Indianapolis church he was a contributor
TO an agricultural journal printed there,
his articles appearing under the title of
Fruits, Flowers and Farming"
In ls47 he received and accepted a call
from Plymouth church. then new Con
gregatiOnal organization in Brooklyn, and
It was here that he first acquired his rep
utation as a pulpit orator. Mr.. Beecher
soon became prominent on account of
his lectures against slavery and his adyo-
cacy Of temperance. He early espoused
tho cause of the republican party, and
not only aided 1t on the hustings bu
from the pulpit When the Indepedent
Bowens paper, was established, Mr.
Beecher became one of the staff contrib
utors, and from 1861 TO 1863 was Its ed
itor. In 1870 he took editorial manage
rnent of the Christian Union, a weekly re-
ligious publication, and continued in that
capacity for ten ears. In 1861 he made
his second visit to Great Britain and
spoke to vast audiences on the qaes
ti0ns involved in the civil war. In man.
places his receptions were ovations, In
1871 the Lyman Beecher Lectureship''
in the Yale College Divinity School was
founded and the first three annual
courses there, were'delivered by Mr.. Besch-
er. His weekly sermons have been
printed since 1859.
Mr.. Beecher's published works are:
Lectures TO Young Men" Star Papers, "
plymouth Collection of Hymns and
Tunes" Life Thoughts" pleasant Talks
About Frtits and Flowers and Farming"
Eyes and Ears Freedom and War"
Royal Truths Aids to Prayer "Pul-
pit Pungeneies, " "Prayers from Plymouth
Pulpit, Norwood" "a novel; Overture
IF Angels" Lecture Room Talks, -
Morning and Evening Exercises, -
yale Lectures on Preaching" "A Sum
mer parish and Life of Christ The
frst volume of the last was issued in 1871.
A few months ago Mr.. Bsecher annouuc-
ed that he would give the public a second
volume, and Is understood that he was at
work on this when he was stricken down.
Mr.. Boecher's style of oratory was pc
culiar to himself. To the argumentatiye
he combined the poetic and humorous
faculties. In fact, he was the first Ameri-
car minister to introduce humor in the
pulpit, and it was no uncommon occur
renee for Plymeuth congregations TO APP
plsud his utteraEres or laugh outright.
In the next sentence they would be in
tears. His manner, both as preacher
and lecturer, was convincing, and over
ali with whom hs came in contact there
was a magnetism in the man which Great
ed an admiration for him in spite of pre-.
judice previously formed.
TUE FUNERAL OF HENRY WARD BEECHER